


The Only One

by concreteflour



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 19:57:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17230241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/concreteflour/pseuds/concreteflour
Summary: What did Doctor Strange see when he visited 14,000,605 realities?  What plan does he have?





	The Only One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not anxious at all.........LIAR! Okay, there has to be a reason Strange changed his mind and gave up the stone so easily. And that would be.......
> 
> As always, the only compensation I receive is the kudos and comments you leave. So let me know what you think. 
> 
> If you like it, I have several other primarily Spidey centered stories. I hope you enjoy them all.
> 
> Happy New Year!

Doctor Stephen Strange was a busy man. He was traveling through the timeline of the reality, several timelines. By the time he had finished he had visited fourteen million, six-hundred and five different realities. In each stop, he compared the outcome of the battle that had been started by Thanos. He realized the battle had actually been going on since before the New York invasion. In every scenario, he looked for the outcome that concluded with Thanos defeat. 

There was only one.

So, his time travels led to performing certain acts that would guarantee that one and only outcome.

Steve Rogers awoke three weeks before the coming battle and suddenly felt like he needed to be in Wakanda to oversee Bucky’s recovery.

King T’Challa ordered his sister to work on the new arm for the Winter Soldier.

Wanda knew that their time together was coming to an end. She felt a strong desire to remain with Vision.

Tony Stark was working late (again) in his lab. He dropped what was he was doing when a new idea for an expanded suit for Spider-Man abruptly came to him. Within minutes, he was well on his way to developing the Mark 17-A suit for Spider-Man.

Peter Parker had spent to long out patrolling again last night. His alarm had gone off without even a minor stirring of the young hero. Without knowing why, he found himself awake, with just enough time to catch the bus for the Field Trip to MOMA.

The Asgardians were warned that Thanos was about to destroy their ship. Although too late to avoid the action that was to come, several of the Demi-Gods were able to make a plan of resistance.

Finally, the Master of the Mystic Arts came to a stop. He looked out at the heroes in front of him.

Tony Stark, knelt in front of him. “You’re back here.”

Spider-Man asked, “Hey, what was that?”

Strange gasped, “I went forward in time. To view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict.”

“How many did you see?” Quill asked.

“14,000,605,” was the answer.

Tony looked at the wizard, “How many did we win?”

“One.”

He did not tell them what had to be done to ensure the victory, only that they were on the right path. He helped them formulate a plan. But the truth was, he had put his plan in action long before, with each and every small change he performed to get them to this spot, at this time. All was in readiness.

So, with all his small changes put into place, Doctor Strange did the one thing he said he would never do, and he gave up the time stone. That led to the initial defeat of the heroes, but the ultimate victory against the Mad Titan.

The only outcome in which Thanos was defeated was the one where Tony Stark survived, and Peter Parker died. That was the outcome that had to occur. Tony was the key. He was the original Avenger. 

He had the intellect to find a way to ultimately defeat Thanos and return the people from the Soul Stone. The one thing that Tony needed was a push in the right direction. And for that, Peter Parker had to die. Doctor Strange had foreseen the outcome in which an almost insanely driven Stark had sacrificed everything to get his young friend back.

Including Stark’s own life. The original Avenger avenged his planet, his teammates, his friends. But he saved half of the galaxy with the cost of his own life. He was not the only hero to fall before the world was made right, but he was the heart and soul of the Avenger’s.

With his time changing stops, Strange was able to make sure that Vision would not be captured and defeated in Edinburgh by Thanos' soldiers.

Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were able to help in the defense of Wakanda.

The Mark 17-A would allow Spider-Man the ability to remain a part of the fight on Ebony Maw’s spaceship.

And Peter Parker was on time to catch a bus.

Spider-Man would be on Titan to fight with Iron Man and the other heroes. And ultimately, he would die in Tony’s arms.

He would actually be apologizing to Tony before he was gone, and Tony would not be able to say goodbye.

This is the future that the Master of the Mystic Arts foresaw. The only one in which the remaining heroes were able to rally and defeat the Mad Titan. But it was completely dependent on Tony being totally driven to recover the young masked vigilante, and to set the world(s) right.

In the end, the only outcome that would save the universe was brought about by one time traveling magician, one half-crazed, obsessed genius mechanic, and the resurrection of a fifteen-year-old hero. 


End file.
